


Asylum of the Daleks - Retread

by Drengade



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:26:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22221013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drengade/pseuds/Drengade
Summary: I wrote a short rewrite of the "It is offensive to us to destroy such divine hatred." Scene in the comments on a YouTube review.People liked it, so I rewrote the episode.Note that I wouldn't consider myself a superfan, and have watched little since Tennant's regeneration.This is a rewrite that attempts to address some of the biggest complaints people seem to have, and outline things that could have been done to live up to the fanservice hype.It is written in the same style as the episode transcript, and borrows a lot of actual text from it.
Kudos: 2





	Asylum of the Daleks - Retread

**[Prequel]**

(The Doctor is enjoying tea and a biscuit in a tea room when he sees a cloaked figure with no visible face sitting across the room. No one else notices. Then it is sitting opposite him.)

DOCTOR: I don't think I asked you to sit.

FIGURE: There is a woman who wants to meet you.

DOCTOR: That's nice, but I'm married.

FIGURE: Your help is required.

DOCTOR: I don't discuss my business with mind hijackers.

FIGURE: I suspected.

(A wave of the hand, and they are the only people in the tea room.)

DOCTOR: Who are you?

FIGURE: A messenger.

DOCTOR: Whose messenger?

FIGURE: Darlai von Veel-Karlsen.

DOCTOR: Never heard of her, but that's a Draconian name, and you aren't Draconian.

(He stands up. The location has changed.)

DOCTOR: Where's the tea room?

FIGURE: You were never in the tea room.

DOCTOR: Oh. I know. Psychic projection. Someone's sending me a dream message, but I at least wanted to finish my tea.

FIGURE: Do you recognise where you are?

DOCTOR: Can't remember. How do you hang up on this thing?

FIGURE: You can't.

DOCTOR: Oh yeah? And what if I just wake up?

(In a deckchair on a beach.)

FIGURE: No, Doctor. The beach isn't real either. You are still dreaming.

(In space.)

FIGURE: Spacetime coordinates. You will meet Darlai von Veel-Karlsen here. Her daughter is in danger, and only you can save her. You recognise the planet?

DOCTOR: Yes.

FIGURE: Say it.

DOCTOR: No.

FIGURE: Name the planet.

DOCTOR: I will not say that name.

FIGURE: Say it.

DOCTOR: No!

(The Doctor wakes up underneath the time rotor.)

FIGURE [OC]: Name the planet. Name the planet. Name the planet.

DOCTOR: Skaro.

**[Living Room]**

(Rory and Amy are sat in different armchairs at either side of a living room with two doors, Amy pointedly ignoring Rory.)

RORY: Come on Amy. Tell me what's wrong.

AMY: There's nothing wrong, I just, I'm not sure if we're working out.

RORY: Amy, I'm not going to give up on you, tell me what's wrong and I'll do my utmost to fix it.

AMY: I- I-

(Amy flees the living room through one open door, shutting it quickly behind her, Rory puts his head in his hands. Amy leans up against the door, eyes watering, she puts her hands to her belly and slowly slides down the door to sit on the floor, eyes pressed to her knees. A doorbell rings.)

RORY: (Sigh) I'll get it!

(He leaves the room by the other door)

**[Front Door]**

(We see the inside of the front door as Rory opens it, there is no-one behind the door, he steps out to look and, with a short cut-off cry, he is engulfed in a cyan beam of light.)

**[Corridor]**

(Amy starts at Rory's cry and shoots up, running to the front door)

AMY: Rory!

**[Front Door]**

(Amy runs out, still shouting for Rory, when she too is engulfed in a cyan beam.)

**[Skaro]**

(A scene of gleaming Chrome and blazing sun. We pan around a giant Dalek statue in the image of the paradigm Daleks, it is a burnished yellow, most similar in colour to the Eternal Dalek. It is not a mere statue, however, its weapon, manipulator, eyepiece and dome move slowly, as if it is a true gigantic Dalek.)

[OC]: First, there were the Daleks. And then, there was a man who fought them. And then, in time, he died. There are a few, of course, who believe this man somehow survived, and that one day he will return. For both our sakes, dearest Hanneel, we must hope these stories are true.

(A robed figure wearing high heels turns to a shadow with the profile of the Doctor walking against the backdrop of the eyepiece of the statue.)

DOCTOR: I got your message. Not many people can do that. Send me messages.

DARLAI: I have a daughter, Hanneel. She's in a Dalek prison camp. They say you can help.

DOCTOR: Do they? I wish they'd stop. I love your choice of meeting place.

DARLAI: They said I'd have to intrigue you.

DOCTOR: Skaro. Rebuilt, abandoned and 'preserved’ by the new race of Daleks, in their image of course... Certainly an 'intriguing’ meet and greet spot. Who told you about me?

DARLAI: Does it matter?

DOCTOR: Maybe not, but you're very well informed. If Hanneel's in a Dalek prison camp, tell me, why aren't you?

DARLAI: I escaped.

DOCTOR: (chuckles) No. Nobody escapes the Dalek camps. You're very cold.

DARLAI: What's wrong?

DOCTOR: It's a trap.

DARLAI: What is?

DOCTOR: You are, and an imperfect one. I am curious though, probably why they made flaws in the first place. A human with a Draconian name, escaped from a Dalek camp, hiding in the Dalek homeworld to lure me in with a psychic field and a story about a daughter with a Spiridon name? Come on!

(The Doctor steps forward and sweeps his hand through Darlai. Her image shimmers before returning to normal.)

A hologram. Did you really think a hologram could deceive me?

(The Doctor looks up at the ceiling)

DOCTOR: Come on old boys! Is that the best you can do?! 

(The Doctor paces back and forth)

DOCTOR: One thing does intrigue me though. I'm here on Skaro, a re-armed Skaro no less, and yet, none of your defences have attempted to kill me! You want something, you want me alive, why? Well I'm here! Come on!

(A view is seen from the outside of the Giant Dalek, it's eyestalk turns to point towards the sky, a cyan beam of light descends down into it.)

DALEK [OC]: The Doctor is acquired.

**[White room]**

(The Doctor materialises in a white room with no door; he gets up and looks out of the small window. There is a fleet of Dalek saucers outside.)

DOCTOR: I'm beginning to get bored of these endless Dalek empires.

(The ceiling opens and the floor rises, lifting him into -)

**[Central Command]**

(A large domed area with a multitude of Daleks in tiers around them, many are the Paradigm Daleks, but there are still early new-era bronze Daleks in evidence, along with several never seen before, a ring of black Praetorian Guard paradigm Daleks, featuring silver roundels and two weapons instead of the standard weapon and manipulator surround the central white circle where the Doctor has emerged, all have both weapons aimed at him. Several copper coloured Processor paradigm Daleks are embedded in the wall around the edge of the area, both weapon and manipulator replaced with a mess of wires. The wall looks like an immense mass of computer parts, with wires and cords and pipes plugged into the copper Daleks, on a podium sticking out of this wall, the orange scientist is installed, just as bound by machinery as the coppers. The White Supreme Dalek stands raised on a Dias nearby, flanked by more black paradigm Daleks. The supreme Dalek’s case is open, to reveal the creature within. Its appearance bears more resemblance to Dalek Sek than other Dalek creatures, the eye being Central, with no residual socket for a second. A large brain rests on top of it. Behind the supreme Dalek is the Tardis. The Doctor wheels around, taking it all in.)

DOCTOR(sarcastic): What an honour! The Central Command ship of the Daleks. Or a recreation anyway. With the real one crushed by the Nightmare Child you have to just pretend, don't you.

SUPREME DALEK: You are our servant! Such insult will be met with force!

DOCTOR: Force? Force? Is that it? Come on! The Daleks, the creatures that hate me more than any other, and all you'll use is force? What happened to the 'Exterminate!’? (the Doctor mimics a Dalek) No, you could have killed me at any time since I landed on Skaro mark two, you want me for something, alive. And that means, I can do this!

(The doctor walks up to a Praetorian Guard Dalek, the weapons of the others swivelling around their cases to keep trained on him, amongst commands to cease from the supreme. The doctor begins playing a tune by hitting various parts of the Dalek’s case and singing)

DOCTOR (walking back to the centre of the arena): No, I am not your servant. If anything, you are under my control, because you want something from me, and you have to convince me to give it to you.

(The Doctor spreads his arms wide and turns slowly in the centre of the area, eyeing down the sea of eye stalks, until he settles on the supreme.)

DOCTOR: So come on Daleks! What do you want from me!?

SUPREME DALEK: Save us. You will save us.

DOCTOR: I'll what?

DALEK: You will save the Daleks.

DALEKS: Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks. Save the Daleks.

DOCTOR: Well.

DALEKS: Save the Daleks.

DOCTOR: This is new.

**[Room]**

(A small electronic device wired up to some home made speakers plays Carmen as a young brunette nails planks over the round window. It is a neat but frugal room with a military-style bunk and a simple kitchen.)

OSWIN [OC]: Day three six three. The terror, read boredom, continues. Also, made another soufflé, kind of. Check defences. They came again last night. Still always at night. Oh, and it's my mum's birthday. Happy birthday, mum.

OSWIN: I did make you a soufflé, but it was too beautiful to live.

DALEK [OC]: You will let us enter! We will enter! We will enter!

(She turns up the volume on Carmen. Toreador blasts out.)

**[Central Command]**

(The Doctor is leaning against a Black Dalek, fiddling with its back panel)

SUPREME DALEK: We have arrived.

DOCTOR: Finally! Since when were Dalek ships so slow! Arrived where?

(There is a brief period of silence, the Doctor looking around confused)

DOCTOR: Well?

SUPREME DALEK: What do you know of the Dalek Asylum?

DOCTOR: According to legend, you have a dumping ground. A planet where you lock up all the Daleks that go wrong. The battle-scarred, the insane, the ones even you can't control. It's never made any sense to me.

SUPREME DALEK: Why not?

DOCTOR: Because you'd just kill them!

(from its perch above, the scientist Dalek turns to the Doctor)

SCIENTIST DALEK: Such failure is a resource, there is much that can be learned from observing the mistakes.

DOCTOR: So it's not a prison. It's a Zoo! Your own past, paraded around as a joke.

SCIENTIST DALEK: Not a joke! A lesson! We observe to learn from our failures. But such volatile components make any experiment dangerous!

DOCTOR: What do you mean?

SUPREME DALEK: The Asylum contains the broken and malfunctioning, but it also contains the insane, the egotistical and the outspoken. Yet now it is cracking! You will save the Daleks, Doctor! For you have observed that one Dalek can start a whole empire! What happens when the Asylum cracks, and those even we considered too unpredictable scatter across time and space?

DOCTOR: What?!

(A hole opens in the middle of the floor. The Doctor walks back to it. A planet is visible.)

SCIENTIST DALEK: The Asylum occupies the entire planet, right to the core.

DOCTOR: How many Daleks are in there?

SCIENTIST DALEK: Incarceration count reached thirty million five hundred and sixty, approximately three hundred and seven point nine Kilorels ago. Full count may be many more.

DOCTOR: Full count? Wait, oh no, you let them create more? You let Daleks you consider insane have the chance to replicate themselves.

SCIENTIST DALEK: Data must be obtained.

DOCTOR: Yeah, I bet you're thinking that was a great decision now, aren't you? Are they all still alive?

SCIENTIST DALEK: Most. Several factions have warred each other to extinction.

DOCTOR: Wait, you left them armed?

SCIENTIST DALEK: The Daleks are always armed! To remove armaments would bias data!

(The Doctor gestures at the copper Daleks on the wall)

DOCTOR: They aren't.

SCIENTIST DALEK: Information is a weapon. You know this Doctor.

DOCTOR: You said the asylum is cracking? What exactly does that mean?

SCIENTIST DALEK: The Asylum is coated in a scan gated forcefield, anything unarmed can enter, but nothing may leave!

DOCTOR: Seems unnecessarily complicated, why let anything in?

SCIENTIST DALEK: Nothing outside of orbital bombardment can destroy all the Daleks below. Organisms who enter are useful test subjects.

DOCTOR: So, if you're so scared, why aren't you pulling the plug on your little experiment? Drop the shield and blast it out if the sky, it's the sort of thing you'd do.

SCIENTIST DALEK: A signal is being transmitted from the centre of the Asylum.

(Carmen comes over the speakers.)

SUPREME DALEK: Do you know the noise doctor? Explain! Explain!

DOCTOR: Er, it's me.

SUPREME DALEK: ... Explain!

DOCTOR: It's me, playing the triangle. Okay, I got buried in the mix. Carmen. Lovely show. Someone's transmitting this. Have you considered tracking back the signal and talking to them? He asked the Daleks.

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [OC]: Hello? Hello? Carmen

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: Hello?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hello?

DOCTOR [OC]: Come in. Come in.

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: Come in, Carmen.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hello! Yes, yes, sorry. Do you read me?

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: Yes, reading you loud and clear. Identify

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [OC]: Yourself and report your status.

OSWIN: Hello. Are you real? Are you actually, properly, real?

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: Yes, confirmed. Actually, properly, real.

OSWIN [OC]: Oswin Oswald, junior technical officer, starship

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Alaska. Current status, crashed and shipwrecked somewhere not nice. Been here a year, rest of the crew missing. Provisions good but keen to move on.

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: A year? Are you okay? Are you under attack?

OSWIN [OC]: Some local lifeforms.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Been keeping them out.

DOCTOR [OC]: Do you know what those lifeforms are?

OSWIN: I know a Dalek when I hear one, yeah.

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: What have you been doing on your own against the Daleks for a year?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Making soufflés?

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: Soufflés? Against the Daleks? Where'd you get the milk?

SUPREME DALEK: This conversation is irrelevant.

DOCTOR: No, it isn't.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: No! Hello? Hello?

**[Control Centre]**

DOCTOR: So! A starliner has crashed into your Asylum, and someone's got in. And whatever they've done has weakened the prison, and if it cracks, then everything can get out. A tsunami of insane Daleks. Even you don't want that.

SUPREME DALEK: The Asylum must be cleansed.

DOCTOR: Again, then why is it still here? You've enough firepower on this ship to blast it out of the sky.

SCIENTIST DALEK: The Asylum forcefield is impenetrable to weaponry.

DOCTOR: Turn it off.

SCIENTIST DALEK: Our control of the Asylum systems has been... Compromised.

DOCTOR: Oh? Haha! You've lost control of your own prison! You've been hacked! Now I really want to meet this souffle girl. So! Bombardment not an option, but a small taskforce could sneak through a forcefield, manually disable the generators. Send in a couple of Daleks. Oh. (applauds) Oh. Oh, that's good. That's brilliant. You're all too scared to go down there. Not one of you will go, so tell me, what do the Daleks do when they're too scared?

SUPREME DALEK: The Dalek Nightmare will be deployed.

DOCTOR: You have someone you call Nightmare? And they'll turn off a forcefield for you?

SUPREME DALEK: Yes, because you will have no other means of escape.

DOCTOR: Wait, Me? Me? I'm your Nightmare? Well that's an achievement, I guess. Oncoming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds, The Dalek Nightmare, how many titles are you going to give me?!

SCIENTIST DALEK: The gravity beam will convey you close to the source of the transmission. You must find a way to deactivate the forcefield from there.

DOCTOR: You're going to fire me at a planet? That's your plan? I get fired at a planet and expected to fix it.

SUPREME DALEK: Is that not what you do?

DOCTOR: Oi!

SUPREME DALEK: It is known the Doctor requires companions.

(The doctor’s face changes to seriousness)

DOCTOR: What have you done?

(The Black Daleks advance on the Doctor, pushing him towards the gravity beam.)

SUPREME DALEK: One final motivator. 

(On a screen set in the wall behind the supreme Dalek two images, Rory and Amy, are shown.)

SUPREME DALEK: How long do you think your companions can survive in the Asylum of the Daleks!?

(The Doctor is pushed into the gravity beam.)

**[Run-Down Room]**

(Rory slowly stirs to consciousness and gets up before looks around. The room is dark and dimly lit, a narrow shaft above lets light in but it's very long. The floor is littered with machinery. He sees Amy lying on her side nearby and runs over.)

RORY: Amy! Amy!

(There are two mechanical doors out of the area, both are closed, one has a simple button lock, it is not designed to be secure, the other has a much more complex seal. From behind the secure door comes the sound of explosions and Rory snaps his head to it. Muffled cries of Exterminate can be heard through the door.)

RORY: Okay, not that way.

(Rory looks around in more detail, moving a few pieces of debris around.)

RORY: Where are we?

(He keeps looking. In the corner of the room is the wreck of a Dalek skirt, the front blown open. Rory attempts to move it to look at a control panel behind, the skirt moves far more easily than expected and glides across the floor. Rory looks between the skirt and Amy.)

RORY: She's either going to kiss me for this, or kill me.

(A cut occurs to where Rory has used soft pieces of wreckage and his jacket to line the skirt and remove hard edges, he gently picks up Amy and settles her onto to the wreck.)

RORY: Ok Rory, your turn to save the day. 

(He moves over to the door which didn't have the explosions behind it, pushing Amy in the Dalek skirt wheelchair, he pushes the button to open the door and steps through.)

**[Snowfield]**

(The Doctor crashlands on a snowy landscape with a brilliant blue sky, the area is studded with buildings. At the top of a ridge lies the wreck of a spaceship, its panels peeled away and missing, the doctor is lying facedown in the snow, he slowly lifts himself up, his face angry, and punches the ground.)

DOCTOR: Every time I think they've hurt me enough; they do something else. Well not this time.

(Then Carmen plays.)

OSWIN [OC}: Sorry, sorry. Pressed the wrong switch.

DOCTOR: Soufflé girl?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: You can always call me Oswin, seeing as that's my name. You okay?

DOCTOR [on screen]: How are you doing that, eh? This is Dalek technology.

OSWIN: There are hidden cameras and speakers all over the planet, and they're very easy to hack.

DOCTOR [on screen]: Dalek tech normally isn't. Where are you?

OSWIN: The ship broke up when it hit. Somewhere underground, I think. You coming to get me?

DOCTOR: Soon, but first I need to find my friends. The Daleks sent them down here before me.

(The Doctor’s face changes, as though he's just had an idea)

DOCTOR: Soufflé girl! How did you find me?

**[Room]**

(OZWIN is sitting before a screen with lots of data, including a square grid with one red dot)

OZWIN: These systems keep track of life forms on the planet. It's kind of hard to read at times, there are enough Daleks that they sometimes overlap each other or the system accidentally assigns them to the wrong place. Non-Daleks are easy, different colour dot.

**[Snowfield]**

DOCTOR: Could you find my friends? Two humans.

OZWIN: It'll take a while to search the whole place, but I'll give it a go... you may want to head to the escape vessel up there though. There's a shaft down into the planet.

DOCTOR: Why?

OZWIN: There’s about thirty yellow dots heading your way.

DOCTOR: Daleks?

OZWIN: Yup.

(We cut to the Doctor in the entrance to the downed Alaska spacecraft, he looks back over the snowfield to see a squad of Renegade Daleks (Remembrance of the Daleks) traveling across the snowfield. The doctor enters.)

DOCTOR: Why is the ship all stripped? This isn't crash damage.

OZWIN: The Daleks on the surface have been raiding it, there seem to be two factions in some sort of war, so they're both trying to find resources.

DOCTOR: So the war never ended...

(The Doctor walks past rows of desiccated corpses)

DOCTOR (under breath): No other survivors here then...

**[Cockpit]**

OSWIN: Unauthorised personnel may not enter the cockpit.

DOCTOR: Not the time.

OSWIN [OC]: Oh, Sorry

(The Doctor sighs.)

DOCTOR: No, I’m sorry. Not exactly in the best of moods.

OSWIN [OC]: You're in one of the escape ships from the Alaska right now, -

**[Room]**

OSWIN: -Same ship I was on.

DOCTOR [on screen]: How can you hack into everything? It should be impossible. You're in a crashed ship!

OSWIN: Long story. Is there a word for total screaming genius that sounds modest and a tiny bit sexy?

DOCTOR [on screen]: Doctor. You call me the Doctor.

OSWIN: See what you did there.

(Beep.)

OSWIN: Check the floor. There's a breach at floor level. A way down into the upper layers. See you later.

**[Cockpit]**

DOCTOR: Ha! A Hatch. The lower part of the pod is buried, so this must go straight down to the Asylum, it goes deep...

(The Doctor gets the hatch open. A shaft heads down into the planet, with a flexible metal ladder hanging down it.)

DOCTOR: Okay, so somebody else has been this way, then. Ozwin? You ever found anyone else?

OZWIN: Nope. Totally alone and bored till you showed up. Besides the angry pepperpots. On the plus side, I found your friends. Not far. They're lucky, they're in a containment area, not a warzone.

DOCTOR: Yeah, let's go and find them. What's a containment area?

OZWIN: The Daleks there are all in semi-broken cases, and most aren't very conscious. Some cases have rudimentary autopilots designed to allow them to keep fighting if the Dalek died, but they’re pretty badly made, for Dalek tech. Which is to say, still pretty dangerous.

**[Chamber]**

(Rory is using a the torch on his phone to explore his surroundings as he wheels the unconscious Amy through a hallway full of inactive Daleks. These Daleks run across all the years we have seen, from original Daleks to those from the invasion of earth with dishes on the back, a necros Dalek, a special weapons Dalek and several more, supplemented with one or two new series Daleks, a red top Dalek (which never appeared in the series, only the comics), a heavily damaged purple Dalek in the background (again, comic only) and a busted up paradigm drone. All are in various states of disrepair. Amy's wheelchair skirt brushes a piece of metal, making a loud noise, and a nearby necros Dalek's eyepiece starts to glow.)

RORY: Shush.

(Other Daleks start to boot up, too, making sounds.)

RORY: What? Sorry, what?

DALEK: Eg eg eg eg eg eg eg.

RORY: Eggs? You mean those things?

(The roundels on the Dalek's casing. Some have fallen off onto the floor.)

DALEK: Egg.

RORY: I don't, I don't know what you want. Those things. Are those things eggs? This? You want this.

DALEK: Egg. Stir. Min. Ate.

(Rory drops the ball.)

DALEK: Exterminate.

DALEKS: Exterminate.

(One weapon blast just misses him. Rory tries to run the gauntlet. Franticly pushing Amy through the maze of awakening Daleks, the original v1 Dalek only has the power to flash it's eyepiece light on briefly, the dish Daleks manage to fire a few shots, an imperial Dalek is stuck going forward and to the right and eventually runs into a wall, even though many Daleks remain immobile, those that can keep firing.)

DALEK: Emergency. Emergency. Exterminate. Exterminate.

OSWIN [OC]: Run! The door at the end, run for it. They're waking up, but they're slow. The door at the end. Just run. Now! Now! Now!

RORY: Who are you!?

OZWIN: Does it matter?!

RORY: Fair point!

DALEKS: Exterminate. Exterminate.

(The door rises up as Rory runs, he turns the skirt as he pushes it to use it as a shield for him and Amy. Once he's about halfway across the room, several shots accidentally hit the special weapons Dalek. It wakes up. It's cannon pivots up and the mesh below it’s short dome lights up with a faint orange glow. It turns towards the other Daleks and one by one fires at them, this leaves utter devastation in its wake as the Daleks are destroyed. Eventually it turns it's cannon on the fleeing Rory and the unconscious Amy. A blast narrowly passes over Rory's shoulder and impacts the frame of the door, severely damaging it. The door begins to slide down, Rory sprints the last distance and jumps onto the back of the skirt, ducking down so he slips under the closing door with it.)

**[Corridor]**

OSWIN [OC]: So, anyway, I'm Oswin. What do I call you?

RORY: Er, I can't remember. Er, Rory.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Lovely name, Rory.

**[Corridor]**

(An explosion rocks the corridor, a look back in the chamber reveals the special weapons Dalek firing on the closed door)

RORY: Run?

OZWIN: Run.

(Rory starts sprinting down the corridor still pushing Amy, Amy is starting to stir in the skirt, but isn't conscious. The special weapons Dalek (SWD) keeps firing at the door, causing explosions, before eventually it blasts open. Rory darts round a corner just before the wall is deformed by a SWD blast.)

RORY: What is that thing!?

OZWIN: Special Weapons Dalek. Like a normal Dalek, except with... Special weapons. Big explody cannon. Unfortunately, that cannon gives out so much radiation that the Dalek is guaranteed to go insane. They lose the ability to tell who's friend or foe.

RORY: Dalek?

OZWIN: ... Oh god, you’re screwed.

**[Room]**

OZWIN: There's a door to your left.

(The door rises and Rory runs through into a room with a large round platform in the middle.) 

OSWIN: In there, quickly. Okay, you're safe for now. That door’s reinforced, should keep it out for a while.

**[Chamber]**

(A door rises to let the Doctor into the place where Rory met the Daleks. The remains of the bad-tempered pepperpots are still smouldering some way off. The Doctor sniffs.)

DOCTOR: That's not good.

(He backs out again.)

**[Outside the chamber]**

DOCTOR: Oswin! Oswin, can you hear me?

(The Doctor is in front of a dusty terminal, tapping at what looks like a Dalek eyepiece set in the wall, it has a mechanism like a camera shutter on it.)

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hello. Yeah, I have visual on you.

DOCTOR [on screen]: Why don't I have a visual on you? Why can't I ever see you?

OSWIN: Limited power, bad hair, take your pick.

**[Outside the chamber]**

OSWIN [OC]: I'm going to send you a map to that screen. I got your little friends somewhere safe, but there's a little bit of danger in your way. I don't think I can get you to them another way.

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: Let me guess, special weapons Dalek?

OSWIN: How’d you know?

DOCTOR: There aren't many things that can damage Dalek cases that badly, also their cannon leaves behind a very unusual residue. Burning hair and cinnamon, I think. Sight dash of peppermint.

(A door opens behind the Doctor. In it is a Dalek, this one is painted in Renegade colours and looks to be an equivalent to the SWD, it's shorter and stockier than the average Dalek, it's eye stalk is short and in a large cowl. It has wider shoulders and a more vertical skirt, it has two weapons, one a shorter, wider version of the normal weapon, the other has six normal weapons arranged as a Gatling barrel. It has considerably heavier plating and an additional layer to the mesh neck cage. This cage is very small due to extended armour up from the shoulders.)

RWD: Intruder.

(It moves slowly out towards the Doctor; he wheels around to face it and looks it up and down.)

DOCTOR: Ozwin?

OZWIN: What?

DOCTOR: I have a plan.

(The Doctor runs into the Chamber)

**[Chamber]**

(The Doctor careens across the chamber far faster than the Dalek behind him (the Renegade Weapons Dalek, or RWD) can follow. It bombards him with a stream of small blasts from its Gatling weapon and an explosive blast, with a low pitched noise, from its outsized one. He dashes through the busted door and into the corridor, a thundering boom can occasionally be heard. He skids around the corner and sees the SWD firing shot after shot at the reinforced door.)

DOCTOR: Oi!

(The SWD slowly turns around, the doctor runs back the way he came. He ducks into a little cubby off the side of the corridor and plasters himself to the back wall.)

DOCTOR: Oh, please, please, please remember  
(The SWD and the RWD come into view of each other. There is a brief pause before, without any conversation, both begin attacking the other. Unlike with normal Daleks, the SWD's cannon only leaves scorchmarks and small dents on the RWD. The RWD's own weapons are even less effective, but sustained fire from the Gatling weapon to the holes under the Dome begin to cause damage as smoke and sparks leak from the holes. The RWD’s larger weapon sends shots directly into the barrel of the SWD, causing cracking. A final shot from the SWD gets through the RWD's armour and it explodes, heavy pieces of metal embedding themselves in the walls, within the wreck can be seen the Dalek mutant, horribly mutated even further by the case's extreme weaponry, barely a jelly in a metal cradle. This final shot however, due to the damage inflicted by the RWD, destroys the SWD's cannon. The doctor steps out into the path of the SWD)

DOCTOR: Hello!

SWD: Intruder!

DOCTOR: Identify me. Access your files. Who am I? Come on. Who's your daddy?

SWD: You are our Nightmare.

DOCTOR: Access your standing orders concerning your Nightmare.

SWD: The Nightmare must be destroyed; Daleks must not feel fear.

DOCTOR: And how are you going to destroy me, Dalek? Without that big gun you're a tricycle with a roof. How are you going to destroy me?

SWD: Self-destruct initiated.

DOCTOR: So, it's come to that. No gun, so you're going to blow yourself up, and me with you. Only weapon you've got left.

SWD: Self-destruct cannot be countermanded.

(Its internal clock is down to 12. The Doctor sticks his hand and the sonic screwdriver into one of the broken holes below its lid and scans inside.)

DOCTOR: I'm not looking for a countermand, dear. I'm looking for reverse.

SWD: Forward, forward.

(The SWD whizzes backwards through the corridor, a well-placed kick from the Doctor sends it around the corner)

DOCTOR: Ozwin? Tell Rory to stand away from the doors.

**[Teleport room]**

OZWIN: Rory! Get away from the door!

(Rory dives to the opposite side of the room, where Amy and her Dalek skirt are. After a brief pause, a massive explosion obliterates the doors, the air fills with dust.)

RORY: Oswin? What was that? What happened??

(The Doctor enters through the hole where the door was.)

DOCTOR: Who do you think happened?

RORY: Doctor!

(Rory gives the doctor a hug, which very quickly turns awkward and they break apart. The Doctor observes Amy in the Dalek skirt.)

DOCTOR: Ingenious Rory! Love a good wheelchair. Float-chair? Float chair. Gotta get me one of these. Used to know someone who had one, but me and him didn't exactly part on good terms. 

(The doctor is poking around the edge of the skirt avoiding Amy)

DOCTOR: This is in surprisingly good condition for being blown up; drive, batteries, generator, backup memory banks... No recievers or transmitters that's a pity, can't remote control it. Now, Amy!

RORY: She's been sleeping the whole time. Is she ok?

OSWIN [OC]: You'd better hope so

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Because getting out of the asylum with her unconscious will be pretty much impossible.

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: Amy.

(The doctor very gently slaps her cheek; she begins to show signs of stirring)

DOCTOR: It's perfectly fine Rory. Gravity beams just don't agree with some people. It's like G force, pulls the blood away from the brain, knocks people out.

AMY: Ow.

DOCTOR: Amy. Still with us.

RORY: Amy, it's me. Do you remember me?

(Amy's eyes snap open and she looks around, especially at the skirt.)

AMY (loud and angry): Rory! Why am I in a Dalek!

RORY: It's kill me then.

DOCTOR: Same old Amy.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Ooh, she’s feisty!

**[Teleport room]**

AMY: Whoever that is, they've obviously never been to Scotland.

DOCTOR: Ah yes, that reminds me Oswin. I never got an answer. How come you're okay? 

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: How have you kept the Daleks out?

OSWIN: I mentioned the genius thing, yeah? Shielded the room. Nothing in, nothing out.

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: Clever of you. Now, this place. The Daleks in that ship were supposed to be monitoring it, but look at it. It's a wreck.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them, and not a lot else to do.

DOCTOR [on screen]: A junior technical officer off what I’d presume is a leisure barge hiding out in a wrecked lifepod, hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: The universe has ever seen. But you know what really gets me about you, Oswin? The soufflés. Where do you get milk

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: For the soufflés?

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: Seriously. Is no one else wondering about that?

RORY: Souffles? What? Why would we be worrying about that?

DOCTOR: Sorry, forgot you weren't there. She's been down here for a year, making Souffles to fight Daleks.

RORY: I understood about half of that sentence.

AMY: All I understand is, I now want a Souffle.

OSWIN [OC]: I like her! So, Doctor.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: I've been looking you up. You're all over the database. Why do the Daleks call you the Nightmare?

DOCTOR [on screen]: I'm not a Nightmare, I'm just a man with a plan.

OSWIN: You've got a plan?

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: Always. Well, most of the time. Well sometimes, but when I don’t, I am very good at winging it.

AMY: Yup, that sounds about right.

RORY: Well that explains a lot.

DOCTOR: Oi! In no particular order, we need to neutralise all the Daleks in this Asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage and escape from this planet. Anything I missed?

RORY: Yeah, actually. Amy, something has been up with you recently, and I mean something serious. You don't want to talk to me about it, if I've upset you in some way, fine, but please talk to someone. You've always been able to talk to your raggedy Doctor, even when he's not there. So take this chance while he is here, because our relationship cannot go on like this.

(The doctor looks between Amy and Rory concerned, Rory goes over to the corner of the room and sits on an old crate)

DOCTOR: ... Putting that aside for now, Oswin, there's a Dalek ship in orbit.

OSWIN [OC]: Yes. Got it on the sensors

DOCTOR: The Asylum has a forcefield. The Daleks upstairs are waiting for me to turn it off. Soon as I do, they'll burn this whole world and us with it.

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: So, Oswin, my question is this. How fast can you drop the forcefield?  
OSWIN: Pretty fast. But why would I?  
DOCTOR [on screen]: Because this is a teleport. Am I right, Oswin?  
OSWIN: Yeah. Internal use only.

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: I can boost the power. Once the forcefield is down, I can use it to beam us right off this planet.

RORY: You said when the forcefield is down, the Daleks will blow us up.

DOCTOR: We'll have to be quick, yes.

AMY: Fine, we'll be quick. But where do we beam to?

DOCTOR: The only place within range. The Dalek ship.

AMY: They'll exterminate us on the spot.

RORY: Ah, so this is the kind of escape plan where you survive about four seconds longer.

DOCTOR: What's wrong with four seconds? You can do loads in four seconds. Oswin, how fast can you drop the forcefield?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: I can do it from here, as soon as you come and get me.

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: No, just drop the forcefield and come to us.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: There's enough power in that teleport for one go. Why would you wait for me?

**[Teleport room]**

DOCTOR: Why wouldn't I?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: No idea. Never met you. Sending you a map so you can come get me.

**[Teleport room]**

RORY: This place is crawling with Daleks.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Yeah. Kind of why I'm anxious to leave. Come up and see me sometime.

**[Teleport room]**

RORY: So, are we going to go get her?

DOCTOR: I don't think that we have a choice. Okay, as soon as the forcefield is down the Daleks will attack. If it gets too explody-wody in here, you go without me, okay?

RORY: And leave you to die?

DOCTOR: Oh, don't worry about me. You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated.

RORY: Fair point. Love this plan. What about Amy?

DOCTOR: Give me a few minutes.

AMY: What do I do?

(The Doctor grabs the Dalek skirt, which Amy is still sat in, and pushes her to the opposite side of the room.)

DOCTOR: Look Amy, I know both of you. I know you both care for each other, so what's wrong?

AMY: It's not much just...

DOCTOR: Amy, if it's not much then just talk to him about it. He waited for you outside of a box for centuries, I don't think he'll give up any time soon.

**[Corridor]**

(The Doctor makes his way carefully.)

DALEKS [OC]: Emergency. Emergency. Prepare to be annihilated. Emergency. We are the Daleks. We are the Daleks.

**[Teleport room]**

(Amy and Rory are sat in silence, Any has finally left the Dalek skirt which has been left on the teleporter, and is sat on some debris.)

RORY: Okay, look at me Amy. I am going to line this out as simply as I can. I love you. I have shown this time and time again and will continue to do so. But if you keep pushing me away like this I will not be able to cope.

AMY: It's not important Rory.

RORY: I'm sorry, but it is.

AMY: No it's not!

RORY: Amy! Two thousand years, waiting for you outside a box. No matter what it is, I will be able to handle it, but keeping it inside like that? It's hurting you... And it's going to kill ‘us'.

(Amy starts sobbing, Rory moves over and puts an arm around her shoulders.)

AMY: Don't say that to me. Please don't.

RORY: Amy, please.

AMY: I don't deserve you, I can't give you what you want.

RORY: What? Sorry, but I already have what I want.

AMY: You want kids. You have always wanted kids. Ever since you were a kid. And I can't have them.

RORY: I know.

AMY: Whatever they did to me at Demons Run, I can't ever give you children. I can't take that from you... I-i-i... I was giving you up.

RORY: Amy, even if you give me up, what makes you think I'll give you up? So maybe you can't have kids anymore, you already gave us Melody, there's always adoption, plus, unlike most couples we do kinda have a friend who could probably find any number of alien gizmos that would let us have a baby a different way. I chose to spend my life with you, and I would not give that up. Ever.

(Amy collapses into Rory's arms, still sobbing.)

**[Corridor]**

DOCTOR: Oswin, I think I'm close.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: You are. Less than twenty feet away. Which is the good news.

**[Corridor]**

DOCTOR: Okay. And the bad which I suddenly feel is coming?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: You're about to pass through Intensive Care.

**[Intensive Care]**

(The Daleks here are in cages.)

DOCTOR: What's so special about this lot, then?

OSWIN [OC]: Don't know.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Survivors of particular wars. Spiridon, Kembel, Eridius, Vulcan, Exxilon, Satellite Five, The Medusa Cascade, Trenzalore, Terridium, Mulcibar, Heddigan Ringing any bells?

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: Most of them, enough to know what it means.

OSWIN [OC]: Yeah? What?

DOCTOR: These are the Daleks who survived me, or who will.

DALEK: Doctor.

DALEK 2: Doctor.

DALEKS: Doctor.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: That's weird. Those ones don't usually wake up for anything.

DOCTOR [OC]: Yeah, well

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: Special visitor. Okay, door, but it won't open. I can't be far away, though.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hang on. Not quite sure. There's a release code. Let me just

**[Intensive care]**

OSWIN [OC]: Anything out there?

DOCTOR: No.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hang on, I'm trying to think.

**[Intensive Care]**

(One Dalek has been disarmed, literally, and chained up.)

DALEK: Doctor.

(It breaks its chains.)

DALEKS: Doctor. Doctor.

DOCTOR: Oswin, get this door open.

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [OC]: Oswin, open this door!

OSWIN: I can't!

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: Oswin.

(The Daleks are closing in.)

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [OC]: Just get this door open!

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: Oswin! Oswin, please! Get this door open! Help me!

(A plunger is heading for the Doctor's face.)

DOCTOR: Stop!

(The Daleks stop, then turn away.)

OSWIN [OC]: Oh, that is cool.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Tell me I'm cool.

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: What, what did you do?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Hang on, I think I've found the door thingy.

**[Intensive Care]**

DOCTOR: No, tell me what you did.

OSWIN [OC]: The Daleks, they have a hive mind. Well, they don't, their casings have a sort of wireless connection, but it's wired right into their brains, let's them share memories.

DOCTOR: The path web, yes.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: I hacked into it, did a mass delete

**[Intensive Care]**

OSWIN [OC]: On all the information connected with the Doctor.

DOCTOR: You made them forget me?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Good, eh? Was kinda a slapdash job though, tore a hole right through the security systems, anyone could connect now, well, until they repair it. And here comes the door.

**[Intensive Care]**

(The door rises.)

DOCTOR: I've tried hacking into the path web. Even I couldn't do it.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Come and meet the girl who can. Hey, you're right outside. Come on in.

DOCTOR [on screen]: Oswin, we have a problem.

OSWIN: No, we don't. Don't even say that. Joined the Alaska to see the universe, ended up stuck in a shipwreck first time out. Rescue me, and show me the stars.

DOCTOR [on screen]: Does it look real to you?

OSWIN: Does what look real?

DOCTOR [on screen]: Where you are right now.

**[Padded cell]**

DOCTOR: Does it seem real?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: It is real.

DOCTOR [on screen]: It's a dream, Oswin. You dreamed it for yourself because the truth was too terrible.

OSWIN: Where am I?

**[Padded cell]**

(A new series bronze Dalek in Necros Dalek colours has chains draped over it.)

DALEK: Where am I? Where am I?

DOCTOR: Because you are a Dalek.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: I am not a

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: Dalek. I am not a Dalek!

**[Room]**

OSWIN: I'm human.

**[Padded cell]**

DOCTOR: You were human when you crashed here. It was you who climbed out of the pod. That was your ladder.

OSWIN [memory]: Where am I? Where am I? Where am I?

**[Room]**

OSWIN: You mean?

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: Human.

DOCTOR: Not any more. Because you're right. You're a genius. And the Daleks need genius. They didn't just make you a puppet, they did a full conversion. I've seen it before, Tranquil Repose, on a planet called Necros.

**[Room]**

OSWIN [memory]: Where am I? Where am I? Where am I?

DOCTOR [on screen]: Oswin, I am so sorry, but you are a Dalek. The milk, Oswin. The milk and the eggs for the soufflés. Where, where did it all come from?

OSWIN [memory]: Eggs. I'm human. I am not a Dalek, I am human. I am not Dalek, I am human!

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: Eggs.

DOCTOR: It wasn't real. It was never real.

OSWIN [memory]: I am a Dalek. I am a Dalek.

OSWIN + DALEK: Eggs.

DALEK: Stir. Min. Ate.

DOCTOR: Oswin.

DALEK: Eggs.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Stir. Min ate.

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: Exterminate.

DOCTOR: Oswin. No, no, no, Oswin. Oswin.

DALEK: Exterminate!

DOCTOR: Listen. Oswin, you don't have to do this.

DALEK: Exterminate!

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: Oswin!

(Oswin is crying.)

OSWIN: Why do they hate you

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: So much? They hate you so much. Why?

DOCTOR: I fought them many, many times.

DALEK: We have grown stronger in fear of you.

DOCTOR: I know. I tried to stop. Several times. I thought it was over even more often. But they always came back, and I always had to stop them.

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Then run.

DOCTOR [on screen]: What did you say?

OSWIN: I've taken down the forcefield.

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: The Daleks above have begun their attack. Run!

**[Room]**

DOCTOR [on screen]: Oswin, are you-

OSWIN: I am Oswin Oswald. I fought the Daleks and I am

**[Padded cell]**

DALEK: Human! Remember me.

DOCTOR: Thank you.

DALEK: Run!

(The Doctor runs as the bombardment starts.)

**[Room]**

OSWIN: Run, you clever boy. And remember.

**[Teleport room]**

RORY: How long can we wait?

AMY: The rest of our lives.

RORY: Agreed.

(They kiss as things go bang around them and the Doctor runs in.)

DOCTOR: Right, go! Let's go. We're good. Let's go. Oh, for God's sake.

(The Doctor takes the control unit from Rory and activates it. Nothing appears to happen. Missiles streak in and the entire planet goes KaBOOM!)

[Central Command]

DALEK SCIENTIST: The Asylum is destroyed.

DALEK PROCESSOR: Incoming teleport from Asylum planet. We are under attack.

DALEK SUPREME: Prepare to defend. Defend. Defend!

DOCTOR [OC]: You know, you guys should really have seen this coming. The thing about me and teleports, I've got a really good aim. Pin-point accurate, in fact. Or, to put it another way

(The Doctor looks out of the Tardis door.)

DOCTOR: Suckers!

DALEK: Identify yourself. Identify. Identify.

DOCTOR: It's me. You know me. The Doctor. The Oncoming Storm. Your Nightmare.

DALEK SCIENTIST: What is the meaning of these titles?! Doctor who?

DALEK SUPREME: Doctor who?

DALEKS: Doctor who?

DOCTOR: Oh, Oswin. Oh, you did it to them all. You beauty.

DALEKS: Doctor who? Doctor who?

DOCTOR: Fellas, you're never going to stop asking.

(He shuts the door and the Tardis dematerialises.)

DALEKS: Doctor who?

**[Street]**

(Amy and Rory wave goodbye as the Tardis dematerialises, then she goes indoors.)

RORY: Yes! Yes!

AMY [OC]: I can see you.

RORY: Okay.

**[Tardis]**

(The Doctor dances as he sets the controls, in the background can be seen the Dalek skirt Amy used which was caught in the teleport)

DOCTOR: Doctor who. Doctor who. Doctor Who!

(But then he stops and his face falls, he slowly walks over to the TARDIS stairs and sits down)

DOCTOR: You were brilliant Ozwin. And you were right; the Daleks really have grown stronger in fear of me. I remember them in their early days, barely able to power themselves, their cases being destroyed by a short fall. Heh, they'd have had a lot more trouble during the Time War had they still been at that level. Now they've forgotten me, I never need see them again, but...

(He sighs, gets up and walks over to the skirt)

DOCTOR: It doesn't mean they won't still get stronger going forward. And though they grew stronger in fear of me, more importantly they feared me.

(The Doctor fishes the ends of a bundle of wires out of the skirt and plugs them into the TARDIS console.)

DOCTOR: And fear makes them cautious. It makes them doubt themselves. So Ozwin, before they repair the hole you blew in the path web, I'm sorry, but I'm reversing your work.

(The Doctor flips a switch on the console, the TARDIS viewscreen begins to cycle through images of every incarnation of the doctor, and scenes from old Dalek episodes, including a few constructed to be future encounters, featuring Doctors we have yet to see.)

DOCTOR: From now on, no matter where or when, every Dalek that sees me will know me. They will fear me. Because I must always stand in their way. I am one Nightmare, that they won't exterminate.


End file.
